Dragi's little idea
by Kalerin
Summary: A sort of challenge. WARNING: cruel Zack, character death, suicide.


"Get your ass moving!"

Groaning, Cloud tried to run a little faster. Honestly, how was he supposed to keep up with a First class SOLDIER even if he wasn't carrying 200 lbs on his back? That wasn't even taking into consideration that this particular First class absolutely hated his guts. Cloud didn't even know why he was hated; he just was.

The blonde was so focused on speeding up he didn't see the person before him suddenly reach out their leg. His own long legs got tangled and he fell in a disorganized heap. The pack on his back threatened to crush him as he struggled to right himself. Two black boots stomped over to him and Cloud couldn't help but wince. This was going to be bad. A hand grabbed his hair and yanked him up, ignoring his pained cry. Bright blue eyes stared up in fear at the burning violet eyes and a shudder passed through his body.

"Cadet Strife, do you enjoy shaming me? You have been under my training for six months and haven't improved at all. In this amount of time I could have trained a slug to be a SOLDIER. Guess that means you are lower then a slug. Not that we didn't know that. Now then, have you anything to say for yourself?"

"I'm sorry, Commander Fair."

Cloud suddenly found himself flying back, not even remembering the older man throwing him. He hit the dirt hard and felt one of his ribs crack. There wasn't even time to wince before he was hauled to his feet once more. The violet eyes were burning even more.

"I don't want apologies Strife! I want results! If this is the best you can do then do the world a favor and drop out of SOLDIER. Better yet, just die."

Releasing the blonde in disgust the raven haired man scowled darkly. "Get showered; there's no sense in going any farther today. Besides, my friends will be here soon and I don't want them seeing me with a failure like you."

Holding back sobs, Cloud stood and saluted before turning and running for his barracks. Somehow he managed to hold back his tears until he was safely locked within his room. Once there he let the hot, salty water fall from his eyes. Today had been especially brutal. Commander Fair had never liked him before nor taken it easy on him but he had never said something hard like Cloud was lower then a slug. Okay, the blonde admitted that he wasn't very good at some things. He still wasn't a very fast runner and he had a little trouble in shooting. But other then that he was great! His other instructors kept saying he was one of the best. So why was Commander Fair being so cruel?

Curling up in a ball, Cloud felt like part of him was being ripped out. He had always respected Commander Fair and had always wanted the black haired man to respect him. That was why he had joined SOLDIER. General Sephiroth was cool too but Commander Fair was more real. He had just been a country hick, just like Cloud, and now he was second only to the General.

Once the tears were finally gone Cloud felt depression fall upon him. Commander Fair had told him to die; that could be taken as an order. The last order that Cloud would follow. Shakily, the blonde got to his feet and stumbled into the small barrack kitchen.

~*~

"Zack! Wait up!"

Laughing, Zack waited for his friends to catch up with him. He enjoyed watching them stumble around, buzzed but not quite drunk. Stupid mako; they had been at that bar all night and none of them were drunk. Zack wasn't even buzzed. Oh well, it just made watching his friends that much funnier.

Once his friends caught up Zack started walking again, listening with half an ear to their banter.

"Hey Zack, don't you have a cadet you are training?"

Sighing, Zack nodded. That reminded him, the blonde would probably be waiting for him at the training room by now. Oh well, he could wait.

"Yeah, Cadet Cloud Strife."

"Cloud Strife? I've heard of him. Heard he's pretty good."

Zack shrugged, disinterested. "He's alright," the raven admitted. "Needs to work on some things but he's getting there. He's improved a lot since he got assigned to me. The one on one is doing him good."

"If he's doing good then why did you tell him he hadn't improved at all. I showed up early and heard your whole lecture to the whole boy. It wasn't his fault you decided to trip him."

Another sigh, this one in frustration. "The kid is doing good but I don't like his attitude. He's to impressionable. If he's going to be a SOLDIER then he needs to toughen up. Otherwise he's going to be walked all over. If my little insults destroy his confidence then he didn't have any to begin with. Maybe he'll grow some."

"Commander Fair!"

Looking up, Zack saw an army grunt jogging towards him. The sun wasn't quite up yet so he knew he wasn't late for reporting in. Seph knew he was going out with his friends so what was going on? The grunt stopped before him and snapped to attention, saluting. It wasn't until Zack saluted back that the grunt delivered his message.

"Exactly thirty-seven minutes ago the body of Cadet Cloud Strife was found within his barracks. He died of a butcher knife through the heart. It was believed suicide. As his mentor you are required to return at once to authenticate the body. Please follow me."

Waving goodbye to his friends, Zack jogged after the grunt. So, the little pipsqueak had taken him seriously and died. That was unfortunate; the kid really had been good. Sighing, Zachery Fair, First class SOLDIER, shrugged. Maybe Seph would get the hint and not give him another cadet to train.

* * *

_Author's note: This story is for Dragi! They once commented on a different story that Zack would never be mean to Cloud so I wrote this to prove them wrong. (Although this was actually hard to right. Zack just doesn't want to be mean. :P) Hope you like it Dragi!_


End file.
